This is a beautiful marina and as I mentioned yesterday, it reminds me of our home marina in Georgian bay - South Bay Cove. We left around 9:00 in the morning for Tangiers Island which we have been told is a beautiful little crabbing village located on an island in the middle of the Chesapeake. The seas were calm and we sailed across in a couple of hours and entered the channel separating Tangiers and Smith Island form the east. We had phoned the only marina on the island before hand and after several attempts, we got an answer that there was room. As we entered the channel, it got shallower and shallower as we got close to island and we rubbed bottom a couple of times but finally we got in. We traveled down the channel against a strong wind and current coming against us, radioing the marina but never received any reply. Finally we were told by someone else that the owner doesn't answer the VHF and we couldn't raise him on the phone. Trying to enter one of slips was very difficult as the current and wind was pushing the stern of the boat against the pilings. Then we tried to turn around and dock in the front of the marina and started moving sideways down the channel. I gave up and we decided to move on or to Solamans on the mainland. Never did hear from the marina owner. maybe he was asleep, but I decided I was not going to risk the boat by trying to enter a slip without some assistance given the conditions. Our observation, however was that Tangiers was a beautiful little place and would have been nice to visit.
Tangier Island
As we came out out the other side of the channel into the Chesapeake, the wind had picked up was coming from the south and we were running for about an hour with a beam sea. Not too bad, only two foot waves but Brenda got a little queasy during the trip. However once we reached the marker buoy set on my route we changed to a northerly course and the seas were coming from behind. Again not too bad but they did push the boat around a bit particularly towards the end of the day as the winds had picked up even more. As we were going up the Bay we saw this Navy warship on the right and it looked like it was sitting on land in the middle of the Bay. Turns out it is a bombing target for naval aviators. In the picture you can see it if you look hard.
it was a long day and we were glad to get into port. Went to dinner at the marina restaurant, watched the Blue Jays and went to bed.
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